What is good daily med that only treats anxiety and depression?

Posted by clockwood22 @clockwood22, 6 days ago

I see a psychiatrist but she prescribed heavy meds for psychotic and other things. I feel these are too strong for me.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Depression & Anxiety Support Group.

@sandwalk

Username j...same here! Yes it's cold and very windy I can't walk outside either and no sun exercise is is wonderful outside especially so I can't wait for that so I have been waking up depressed but as soon as I get downstairs and get going and do my chores etc and get out even if it's just to walk around a store or a mall it helps me immensely but had I not been on the pack so I don't think I could have gotten out of bed.
I have been on paxil for almost 40 years and never planned to go off of it in fact I have increased my dose over the years and I'm on a very high dose but no side effects I'm afraid to even mention my dose but at my age 74 I don't care I just want to feel good and be able to do things throughout my day.

Jump to this post

I totally get that!
Paxil helped me so much with Anx. I never planned on getting off of it and I’m 67.
Used it for over 20 years.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t working for the stress that was happening so I had to wean off of it. It’s been a terrible journey getting off of it.
Am cross tapering with Remeron but the withdrawal from Paxil is why so many go back on it.
It sure worked for me too…for years.

REPLY
@tglosson0959

I have been on antidepressants since I was 40 I am 65 now the doctor has me on Abilify and I still feel the same. I’m thinking about using and asking the doctor for Wellbutrin. Is there anybody out there on Abilify?

Jump to this post

I was on it as an adjunct to Wellbutrin and Cymbalta. It did lift my depression but I had a tremor so bad that strangers would ask me if I had Parkinson’s disease. Then onto Remeron which increased my disabling migraines worse, then onto Seroquel. I really had great benefits from Seroquel and specifically for chronic insomnia as well as my depression (of 41 years). However, I developed Tardive Dyskinesia, (strange mouth movements and toe movements) which I didn’t even realize I had until I accidentally recorded myself on a Zoom call. I was horrified by watching myself. Got off of it and thought the Tardive Dyskinesia was permanent, which it can be, however after being off of it for a year and a half have finally subsided. The world of pharmacology for treating resistant depression is crazy. And although the group of medications like Abilify, called antipsychotics can be very beneficial but to me the side effects were not worth it. I’m on a complicated pharmaceutical regiment for depression, anxiety, insomnia and chronic severe migraines. But finally after searching for 41 years I found hope. Finding a really good psychiatrist with an excellent pharmacology background has been the key for me. Best of luck to you in your journey. As they used to say as far as medications for depression and anxiety, they’ve come a long way Baby.

REPLY
@sandwalk

To everyone... Many doctors especially general practitioners don't give an adequate dose you will find if it doesn't work if you can't find a medicine to work perhaps they're not giving you the right dose.. again the answer is in the doctor.

Jump to this post

Yes, the key is your psychiatrist.

REPLY
@mcgrathcreative2

I was on it as an adjunct to Wellbutrin and Cymbalta. It did lift my depression but I had a tremor so bad that strangers would ask me if I had Parkinson’s disease. Then onto Remeron which increased my disabling migraines worse, then onto Seroquel. I really had great benefits from Seroquel and specifically for chronic insomnia as well as my depression (of 41 years). However, I developed Tardive Dyskinesia, (strange mouth movements and toe movements) which I didn’t even realize I had until I accidentally recorded myself on a Zoom call. I was horrified by watching myself. Got off of it and thought the Tardive Dyskinesia was permanent, which it can be, however after being off of it for a year and a half have finally subsided. The world of pharmacology for treating resistant depression is crazy. And although the group of medications like Abilify, called antipsychotics can be very beneficial but to me the side effects were not worth it. I’m on a complicated pharmaceutical regiment for depression, anxiety, insomnia and chronic severe migraines. But finally after searching for 41 years I found hope. Finding a really good psychiatrist with an excellent pharmacology background has been the key for me. Best of luck to you in your journey. As they used to say as far as medications for depression and anxiety, they’ve come a long way Baby.

Jump to this post

To @mcgrathcreative2

Are you able to tell me what meds your psychiatrist is prescribing you. I suffer from anxiety, depression and insomnia. I have been on a cocktail of meds since September but nothing has helped me. I also was prescribed Remeron, Seroquel, Abilify, plus Effexor, Lexipro, Celexa and a host of other meds. Some of them I had to stop after taking the medication for only 3 or 4 days as the side effects were horrible.

REPLY
@mcgrathcreative2

Yes, the key is your psychiatrist.

Jump to this post

To @mcgrathcreative2

Unfortunately, my psychiatrist doesn’t prescribe meds. He only does ‘talk’ therapy.

REPLY
@dorothy1914

To @mcgrathcreative2

Unfortunately, my psychiatrist doesn’t prescribe meds. He only does ‘talk’ therapy.

Jump to this post

With all due respect find another psychiatrist. Unless you want to spend weeks, months and years rehashing your childhood traumas only to realize that depression and anxiety are no different than hearing loss and are genetic you are wasting your time and money.
The medications for treating depression have come so far and have changed so many peoples lives.
Depression and anxiety affect people from all walks of life. It doesn’t matter how much money you make or how successful you are. Some of the most prominent people in our history suffered from depression.
Lincoln, Churchill and Hemingway to name just a few.
Just be grateful that we now have effective drugs to treat it with even better drugs on the horizon.
Best of luck to you but quite honestly talk therapy is like going to see a chiropractor. Once you start seeing them they have a patient for life.
This is my humble opinion.
Good luck to you.

REPLY
@dorothy1914

To @mcgrathcreative2

Unfortunately, my psychiatrist doesn’t prescribe meds. He only does ‘talk’ therapy.

Jump to this post

A psychiatrist prescribes meds
A psychologist cannot prescribe meds.

Either you have an incompetent psychiatrist or you’re actually only seeing a psychologist.

A psychiatrist is a medical doctor.
A psychologist is not a medical doctor.

Which do you have?

REPLY
@dorothy1914

To @mcgrathcreative2

Are you able to tell me what meds your psychiatrist is prescribing you. I suffer from anxiety, depression and insomnia. I have been on a cocktail of meds since September but nothing has helped me. I also was prescribed Remeron, Seroquel, Abilify, plus Effexor, Lexipro, Celexa and a host of other meds. Some of them I had to stop after taking the medication for only 3 or 4 days as the side effects were horrible.

Jump to this post

Sure, I’m on the following meds:
1. Duloxetine EC/DR 120 mg (Cymbalta)
2. Bupropion XL 300 mg (Wellbutrin)
3. Memantine 10 mg (migraines)
4. Gabapentin 900 mg (migraines)
5. Ramelteon 8 mg (new for sleep)
6. Hydroxyzine 50 mg (sleep)
7. Lorazepam 1.5 mg (will stop when Ramelteon comes for sleep)

REPLY
@mcgrathcreative2

A psychiatrist prescribes meds
A psychologist cannot prescribe meds.

Either you have an incompetent psychiatrist or you’re actually only seeing a psychologist.

A psychiatrist is a medical doctor.
A psychologist is not a medical doctor.

Which do you have?

Jump to this post

To @mcgrathcreative2
My Dr. is a Yale educated psychiatrist who is a Professor at one of the leading medical schools in the South West. This is the way he runs his practice. He expects his patients to get their prescriptions from their primary care doctors or psychiatric nurse practitioners which is fine with me. By the way, before I considered any newly prescribed meds, I consulted him. There were several meds he advised me to refuse. It doesn’t matter who prescribes your meds. It’s trial and error. I was fine seeing my primary care doctor or psychiatric nurse practitioners for my medications. Maybe due to my age or wrong dosing, none of the meds worked for me.

REPLY
@mcgrathcreative2

Sure, I’m on the following meds:
1. Duloxetine EC/DR 120 mg (Cymbalta)
2. Bupropion XL 300 mg (Wellbutrin)
3. Memantine 10 mg (migraines)
4. Gabapentin 900 mg (migraines)
5. Ramelteon 8 mg (new for sleep)
6. Hydroxyzine 50 mg (sleep)
7. Lorazepam 1.5 mg (will stop when Ramelteon comes for sleep)

Jump to this post

To @mcgrathcreative2

Does taking all of these meds knock you out? I am contemplating going back on Effexor. I tried to do this in September but was reintroduced at too high a level. I was at fault — not the doctor. So, I was then switched to Celexa and finally Lexapro. Lexapro was also prescribed at too high a level for a first time user. This med did permanent damage to me. I had no information on Lexapro but common sense says I should have requested the smallest dosage to start. When your heart and brain are working overtime, you don’t think about dosage. All you want is relief. Here I am again, no medication and no PNP for the next 5 weeks or so.

REPLY
Please sign in or register to post a reply.